Adjustable needle cam support

ABSTRACT

Mechanism for adjustably supporting needle cams on knitting machines, particularly on circular knitting machines. The mechanism provides means for adjusting the cams both in the direction of the knitting needle movement and at right angles to said first direction, that is, in the direction of the movement of the knitting needles with respect to the cams. The supporting device for needle cams on knitting machines has a slide or pin slidably mounted in the cam plate or in the cambox assembly for adjustment in the direction of the needle movement. The pin is provided with a transversely disposed guiding groove; in which, by its guiding nose, the stitch cam with a lateral extended hole for a screwed joint with the pin is slidably mounted, the stitch cam and the stop parts, mounted on both sides of the same in the cambox assembly, being provided with projections with elongated functional surfaces in the direction of the needle bed rotation for controlling the knitting needles.

United States Patent Stepanek et al.

1451 May 13, 1975 [54] ADJUSTABLE NEEDLE CAM SUPPORT 561,644 9/1932 Germany 66/57 t B h 'I St anek; Rudolf Bandoch [75] Inven ors bgth d f Brn d Czechoslovakia Pnmary Reynolds Assistant Exammer- Andrew M. Falik [73] Assignee: Vyzkumny a vyvojovy ustav Zavodu vseobecneho strojirenstvi, Brno, 57 ABSTRACT Czechoslovakm Mechanism for adjustably supporting needle cams on [22] Filed; Mar. 14, 1973 knitting machines. particularly on circular knitting I machines. The mechanism provides means for adjust- [21] Appl' 34lo36 ing the cams both in the direction of the knitting needle movement and at right angles to said first direc- {52] US. Cl 66/54; 66/57 tion. h in h r tion of the movement of the [51] Int. Cl D04b 15/32 nitting ne les with respect to the cams. The sup- [58] Field of Sea h 66/54, 57, 42, 8, 78 porting device for needle cams on knitting machines has a slide or pin slidably mounted in the cam plate or [56] R f nces Cit d in the cambox assembly for adjustment in the direc- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of the needle movement. The pin is provided with a transversely disposed guiding groove; in which. by its 66,57 guiding nose, the stitch cam with a lateral extended 2 823 529 2/1958 s: Pi erre et ijiiij In 66/57 hole for a Screwed joint with the P is slidably 228353120 5/1958 W iesinger 66/57 x mounted, the Stitch Cam and the p P v mounted 3,387,467 6/1968 Bcckenstein 66/57 on t sides of the same in the eambox s y, 3,572,056 3/1971 Radin 66/57 being provided with projections with elongated func- 3,789,630 2/1974 Schieber et al. 66/78 tional surfaces in the direction of the needle bed rota- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS tion for controlling the knitting needles. 849,648 9/1960 United Kingdom 66/78 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures '1 ill .l-I'm 1% l2 :1 Aug/4 I 5 9 IIIIA ll 1 ADJUSTABLE NEEDLE CAM SUPPORT This application is related to US. Pat. application Ser. No. 34l,266 filed of even date by the same inventors and assigned to the same assignee, and related application being based upon Czechoslovakian Pat. application Ser. No. PV 4912, filed July 3, I971.

The invention relates to an improved supporting device for needle cams for controlling the knitting needles on knitting machines, and more particularly on circular knitting machines.

A known supporting device for needle cams on knitting machines consists of a bar or pin slidably mounted in the cam plate or in the cambox assembly for adjustment in the direction of the needle movement. The stitch cam and the stop are usually fixed to the bar or to the pin needle cams. The needle cams are fixed to the bar or to the pin, usually by screws or in combination with studs. The bar or the pin are usually provided with a tapered slot, into which a flat point set extends. By the turning of the set screw the position of the bar or the pin in the cam plate or in the cambox assembly is adjusted in height in one direction, whereas, the bar or pin is urged in the opposite direction by a spring. To the cambox assembly on both sides of the needle cams, there are fixed stop parts for guiding the knitting needles off the needle cams.

A disadvantage of known devices for supporting needle cams is that they are adjustable only in the direction of the knitting needle movement. This makes possible a proper adjustment of the needle cams so that the lifting height or knitting stroke of all needles is the same, but does not permit lateral displacement of the needle cams.

On multi-feed circular knitting machines the need became evident to provide a lateral adjustment of the needle cams, since the accuracy of the mutual position of the stitch cam tips in a cooperating system of needle cylinder and needle dial is affected by the production errors in the anuglar distribution of the feeds in both systems. The errors in the angular distribution of the feeds become evident in the irregularity of the alternative clearing of the knitting needles on different feeds of the machine, and thus in the irregularity of the courses of the knitted fabric.

The above disadvantages are eliminated by the present invention. In accordance with the invention the pin is provided with a transversely disposed guiding groove; in which, by its guiding tongue or rib, the stitch cam with a lateral extended hole for a screwed joint with the pin is slidably mounted, the stitch cam and the stop parts, mounted on both sides of the same in the cambox assembly, being provided with projections with elongated functional surfaces in the direction of the needle bed rotation for controlling the knitting needles.

A further feature of the invention consists in the fact that the crosswisely orientated guiding groove is formed in the cam bar connected with the pin.

An advantage of the supporting device according to the invention consists in the possibility of easy adjusting and accurate setting the individual stitch cams in positions in which an uniform alternative clearing of the knitting needles and uniform courses of the knitted fabric by all feeds of the knitting machine, consequently, are achieved.

Illustrative embodiments of the mechanism in accordance with the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a view in elevation of a first illustrative embodiment of supporting device for needle cams in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section through the device of FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line 2-2 (If FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal cross section through the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, the section being taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical cross section similar to FIG. 2 but of a second embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical cross section similar to FIGS. 2 and 4 but of a third embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention.

Turning now to the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is there shown a cambox assembly generally designated A, such assembly including a fixed frame plate 1 in which there is provided a vertically disposed cylindrical bore 2 in which a vertical pin or slide 3 is slidably mounted. The bore 2 is provided with a bottom ledge 4 closing the bore, ledge 4 also serving as a support for the lower end of a coil compression spring 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the pin 3 is provided with a horizontally extending V-8 slot 6, a set screw 7 screwed into a horizontal threaded bore in the member 1 having its ballshaped inner ends received in the slot 6. In the position of the part shown in FIG. 2, the inner end of the set screw 7 bears against the lower inclined surface of the slot 6, screwing the set screw 7 inwardly, that is, to the right in FIG. 2 serving to thrust the pin 3 downwardly against the opposition of the spring 5. When the screw 7 is screwed in the opposite direction, the slide 3 rises under the action of the spring 5.

On its forward (right, FIG. 2) surface, somewhat above the slot 6, the pin 3 is provided with a horizontally directed groove 8 of rectangular section, the

groove 8 receiving the guiding nose or tongue 9 on therear surface of a stitch cam 10 which is secured to the pin 3 by means of a pin 11 and a screw 12, the latter passing through a horizontally extended hole 13 in the stitch cam 10. Element 11 is a securing stud which is used to lock the stitch cam 10 into a predetermined lateral position after adjustment via screw 12. If stud 11 were not used, there might arise a certain play between horizontally directed groove 8 and guiding nose 9 on the rearsurface of the stitch cam 10, such play being caused for example by wearing, thus, the angular displacement of a stitch cam 10 about the screw 12. Such angular displacement or rotation of the stitch cam could very deleteriously affect both the function and the life of the knitting needles. Near the bottom of the pin 3 there is affixed a further needle cam part, i.e., the stop cam 15, by means of a screw 14.

On both sides of the stitch cam 10 and the stop cam 15 there are affixed an entering pair of upper and lower stop cams 16a, 16b and an upper and lower pair of exit stop cams 16c, 16d by means of screws (not shown). The Stitch cam 10, the stop cam 15, and the stop parts 16a 16d are provided with functional cam surfaces 17 and 18 elongated in the direction of needle path movement which cooperate with feet f of knitting needles or knitting needle jacks to control the knitting needle, the feet traveling in the direction from right to left in FIG. 1 with respect to the cams.

It will be apparent from the above that the screw 7 is employed for the vertical adjustment of the stitch cam and the stop cam 15. With regard to the lateral adjustment of the stitch cam 10, between the stitch cam 10 and the adjacent stop parts 16a and 16c", and also between the stop cam and the adjacent further stop parts 16b and 16d, slots 19 are provided. For covering the slots 19, in order to prevent locking or breakage of the needle feet or butts or the needle stems, the stitch cam 10, the stop 15 and also the stop parts 16a 16d are provided with projections a, 20b, 20c and 20d, with elongated functional surfaces 17 and 18 extending in the direction of rotation of the needle pad.

After assembling the knitting machine, the individual feeds have to be adjusted so that, after determining the size of production errors or tolerances in the angular distribution of the feeds, e.g., visually or by fine measuring, the inaccurate operating cambox assembly A is removed from the machine and after loosening the screw 12, the stitch cam 10 is laterally displaced .by the determined value. After tightening the screw 12, the cambox assembly A'is again fixed upon the knitting machine. After a precise or multiple lateral adjustment, the stitch cam 10 is locked in the adjusted position on the pin 3 by'the securing stud 11, after the previous drilling of both parts 3 and 10.

The adjustment of the stitch cam 10 and the stop cam 15 in height is carried out also during the running of the machine by turning the screw 7 as above described, the

rotation of the screw 7 in one direction serving to elevate the earns 10 and 15, and the turning of the screw in the other direction serving to lower them.

In the second embodiment of the device of the invention, shown in FIG. 4, parts which are similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference characters withan added prime. The assembly of FIG. 4 is designated generally by the reference character A. In such assembly,'the stop cam 15 is made integral with the stitch cam 10 the screws 12 and 14', which secure the 10. to the pin 3 are received in laterally extended holes 131and 21, respectively, in member 10". The lateraladjustment of the stitch cam and stop cam is carried out in a manner similar to that above described in. connection with the first disclosed embodiment, the'difference being only that the two screws 12 and 14' have to be loosened; after laterally displacing the element 10, 15 to the desired adjusted position, the screws 12 and 14 are again tightened.

In the assembly A shown in FIG. 5, parts which are similar to those in the first described embodiment are designated by the same reference characters with an added In the embodiment of FIG. 5 a cambar 22 is interposed between the pin 3" and the stitch cam 10" ing groove-8 can be formed in the stitch cam 10" and a y the guiding nose 9" can beformed on the .pin 3" or on the cam bar 22. Because the cam bar 22 is provided in this embodiment with a groove .8, it makes possible the necessary horizontal guidingof the stitch cam 10 by its j i guide tongue 9 in the said groove. Such guiding is very i important'for the accuratefunction of thestitch cam 10 in its lateral adjustment before tightening thescrew 12 in the laterally elongated slot 13 and before fixation of the adjusted position of the Stud :11. I The cam supporting. device in accordance with the invention can advantageously be applied ondifferent types of machines, especially on multi-feed circular knitting machines with fine gauge needle beds.

The invention is illustratedand described with a ref- I erence to a plurality of preferredembodiments thereof and it is to be understood that it is in no way limitedto I said plurality of embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications according to the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1. A supporting device forthe needle cams on knitting machines, comprising a supporting frame member, 5

a slide mounted on the frame memberfor adjustment along a first path parallel to the direction of knitting movement of the knitting needles, means foradjusting the slide along the said first path, a stitch cam; and 1 means connecting the stitchcam to the slide for sliding movement withrespect thereto along a second path; transverse to the direction of the knitting movement of I the knitting needles, said last namedmeanscomprising interfitting relatively laterally slidable guiding tongue and horizontally groove formations on the slide and stitch cam, said formations extending transversely -to the direction of knitting movement of the knitting needles, and means for securing the stitch cam to the slide in a selected position along said second'path.

2. Adevice according to claim l, whereinthe means for securing the stitchcam to the slide includes a laterally elongated slot in the stitch cam and a screw extenda ing through the slot and screwed .i ntotheslide.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tongue is on the stitch cam and the groove is in theslide. 4. A device according to claim 1,comprising a stop cam connected to the slide opposite the stitch camand stop parts mounted at both the entrance side and the exit side of the stitch cam and stop cam, said stitch- Q cam, stop cam, and stop parts being provided with functional cam surfaces elongated in the direction of and stitch cam. 

1. A supporting device for the needle cams on knitting machines, comprising a supporting frame member, a slide mounted on the frame member for adjustment along a first path parallel to the direction of knitting movement of the knitting needles, means for adjusting the slide along the said first path, a stitch cam and means connecting the stitch cam to the slide for sliding movement with respect thereto along a second path transverse to the direction of the knitting movement of the knitting needles, said last named means comprising interfitting relatively laterally slidable guiding tongue and horizontally groove formations on the slide and stitch cam, said formations extending transversely to the direction of knitting movement of the knitting needles, and means for securing the stitch cam to the slide in a selected position along said second path.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for securing the stitch cam to the slide includes a laterally elongated slot in the stitch cam and a screw extending through the slot and screwed into the slide.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the tongue is on the stitch cam and the groove is in the slide.
 4. A device according to claim 1, comprising a stop cam connected to the slide opposite the stitch cam and stop parts mounted at both the entrance side and the exit side of the stitch cam and stop cam, said stitch cam, stop cam, and stop parts being provided with functional cam surfaces elongated in the direction of needle bed movement to control the knitting needles.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means connecting the stitch cam to the slide comprises a cam bar interposed between the slide and the stitch cam, the tongue and groove being disposed between the cam bar and stitch cam. 